4 comments about Stauffenberg: A Family History, 1905-1944.

1. Peter Hoffmann's biography of Stauffenberg is the best anyone is likely to write on the subject. The book comprehensively assesses all primary sources hitherto used by Stauffenberg's previous biographers, plus many additional sources which the author himself found. Hoffmann's previous books, among them 'THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN RESISTANCE, 1933-1945', and 'HITLER'S PERSONAL SECURITY' serve as a foundation to this work which, all told, spans 30 years of scholarly research. As the depth and breadth of this study eclipses any other attempt to date, its conclusions are unassailably judicious. Thus, Hoffmann's 'STAUFFENBERG' has made perhaps the most definitive contribution to the historical field of resistance to the Third Reich.



2. Of the ten or so serious biographies on Stauffenberg, this will stand as the text to refer to for comprehensiveness and objectivity. The prose is clear, the questions of enduring interest are all answered, and the reader meets the man. Unreservedly recommended.



3. "Long live our holy Germany" were the last words of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg on the night of July 20, 1944. Peter Hoffmann's magnificient book is a salute to the Stauffenberg brothers and most importantly Claus von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg was the real thing, a man of deep Christian principles and extradionary courage who knew that the future of Germany was more important than his life and the life of his fellow conspirators. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could live in freedom. Stauffenberg is not only a hero of Germany, but of anyone on earth who loves freedom and respects the laws of God and humanity. Stauffenberg was Germany's guardian angel, who attempted to save his nation and slay the man he deemed "the antichrist." Doctor Hoffmann paints a wonderful picture of Stauffenberg's early life and military career. He then moves into minute detail of the plot to kill Hitler and the man whom fate had chosen to lead it. Simply a great scholastic achievement.



4. Aside from being the single man in history to make several (and one very famous) attempts on the life of Adolf Hitler, Claus Von Stauffenberg was a unique guy.
   
   Born in 1907 to Prussian aristocracy, Stauffenberg was playing the cello, reciting Shakespeare, and taking an interest in Catholic theology
   by the age of exactly 12. Had he made a career out of any of these three, his fate would have been less cruel. Claus Von Stauffenberg, though, was a born soldier.
   
   Ultimately becoming a General Staff officer in the German Abwehr, Stauffenberg and his brothers Berthold and Alexander still made considerable time for poet Stefan George, and were part of his "Secret Germany", a quasi-mystical poetic cult of sorts which worshipped George as "Master, and the three brothers were were prophesied by the poet manque as the future leaders of the Fatherland. Goethe, Holderlin, Rilke and Nietzsche were heralded as the predecessors of the movement. The problem with the entire affair was that George was not very talented and his literary salon was composed mostly of teenage boys.
   
   Despite George, the slow but sure rise of the Third Reich (which, like most Germans, Stauffenberg initially welcomed and his inevitable participation in nearly all of Germany's military campaigns, Claus Von Stauffenberg always retained an odd detachment from his surroundings and a sense of self which was very strong.
   
   The sheer wealth and richness of not only Stauffenberg's life, but the life of his wealthy and somewhat sheltered family--his career as a decorated soldier in the Wehrmacht, his prestige as a model, and as head of the General Staff office--makes his brutal death in front of the Bendleerstrasse in Germany a surreal and bizarre turn of events.
   
   Stauffenberg was aware of Germany's imminent defeat, yet as early as 1942 he was making some quit imprudent remarks about the Fuhrer: "In August 1942 Stauffenberg told Major Joachim Kuhn, a close friend, that the treatment of the Jews and other civilians was monstrous, *that Hitler had lied about the cause of the war*, and that he had to be removed. He then shouted: "They are shooting Jews in the masses. These crimes must not be allowed to continue!"
   
   Then in in another outbrust which later got him arrested, news of more atrocities sparked Stauffenberg to scream in front of SS and general staff alike:"Does not one German soldier have the courage to shoot that pig?"
   
   Attempt after attempt failed; Stauffenberg was regularly seen carrying a "remarkably plump briefcase" (as Albert Speer put it) to three different meetings in Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" in Prussia. Once Hitler did not show up: the second time Stauffenberg's incompetent superiors instructed him to not to set the fuse, and the third time the bomb exploded and by sheer chance did not kill Hitler.
   
   Even in the face of the Gestapo's considerable wrath, Stauffenberg did his best to get the coup de'etat to to succeed. In a most fortunate turn of events for Stauffenberg, probably, a General Staff officer involved in the plot turned on the other plotters and had a handful of them, Claus included, shot on the night of July 20, 1944.
   
   Why? Why was such a priviliged and wealthy figure in the German army who would certainly never have been charged with war crimes choose to sacrifice his life, the life of his family and friends, in an attempt so tenuous and fraught with uncertainty?
   
   The answer, I think, lies in Stauffenberg's unbelievable bravery, sense of common decency, and Christian background. Without these things he may indeed have been a terrifying force for the Third Reich. He could no longer stomach what was going on around him. Peter Hoffmann here gives the definitive biography of this heroic man who embodies perhaps the most inspiring example of "what might have been" in history. A must read.

5 comments about Letters Home: From 9/11 to Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Military Mom Shares Her Family's Story of Patriotism, Courage and Love.

1. Mary Ward captured my interest with the first sentence and kept it through the entire book. I truly felt her every emotion. It gave me so much appreciation for each and every soldier that is serving our country.



2. In the Fall of 2004, when I realized my son would be deploying to Iraq for the 2nd time, I began searching the internet once again for ANYTHING relating to the 3rd ID. My search led me to Mary Ward of Marehaven Productions. A review of her book, "Letters Home" by Ron Martz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught my eye because he had been embedded with my son's Company on the Thunder Run to Baghdad. I ordered "Letters Home" that day. From the moment I opened the book, I couldn't put it down. It transported me back in time. Her words were my words. Her son became my son. I cried and I felt the joy of a son returning home from war, and the guilt because I knew others had not. In the week before my son left, I felt compelled to read her book again. In 3 short months, I have read it twice. For any parent who has sent their child off to war and is familiar with the emotional roller coaster ride, this is a must read. And for those who have never sent a child off to war, this book offers insight as to how very difficult it is.



3. I was fortunate enough to hear about the book Letters Home by Mary Ward from a friend who had just finished reading it twice. I knew that it was a book that I needed to read. Everything that I was told about the book was true.
   This book took me back to my own memories of the first time my son was deployed to Iraq. Facing my son's second deployment, I once again picked up Letters Home and read it again and again.
   I hope that everyone in America has the opportunity to read this book to understand what it is like to have a loved one in the military.
   Once you buy this book you will not be able to put it down!
   I anxiously wait for more books by this very talented author.



4. I recommend this book to moms, dads, families, and friends of military personnel being or currently deployed to Iraq. Reading 'Letters Home' will help you gain insight and understanding into the daily lives of those deployed. It will also validate the emotions experienced by those of us who wait, wonder, and worry through the deployment time. Read how this family supports their soldier and how their friends and family support one another.



5. MARY WARDS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR MILITARY FAMILIES. I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN KNOWING MARY WARD AND HER SON AND HUSBAND. THIS BOOK IS SOMETHING ALL MILITARY FAMILIES NEED TO READ IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR SOLDIERS GO THROUGH AND WHAT THEY NEED FOR SUPPORT. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG IF YOU LISTEN TO THIS SOLDIER IN THIS BOOK.

1 comments about There and Then: The Travel Writing of James Salter.

1. James Salter's writing style reminds me of Ernest Hemingway's. It is tight, crisp and colorful, intense and meaningful. The 17 chapters of this book, each capable of standing alone, display Salter's ability to find essential meaning in ordinary people, events and places. Yet his prose paints such glorious and beautiful word-pictures.
   
   The settings are from cities and places you may or may never get to see -- Paris, the Loire, Trier on the Moselle, Basel, skiing in Kitzbuhel and other famous Alpine venues, the Tyrol, Sussex in England, rural Japan, the Colorado western mountains, memories of eastern Long Island and, to set the tone of what's to come, the experience of having to declare at customs what it is, exactly, that you bring back from your travels.
   
   But the times in which these stories are set, well, they are gone and lost forever. We can experience them now only through the recollections of those who were "there and then". And, Salter is one of the best when it comes to bringing his memories to life and making them meaningful for us now.

1 comments about Army Life of an Illinois Soldier (Shawnee Classics (Reprinted)).

1. While parts of the book were a little slow going (after all, he never intended to be writing a book), most of it was very interesting. I found alot of things surprising in the book, molded as I have been by late 20th century ideas of the Civil War. Wills may have been more educated than many of the soldiers, but I expect his opinions were not so uncommon. It was a great window into what people from the north thought of the war at the time.

2 comments about A Doctor Looks at War: My Year in Iraq.

1. I looked forward to reading this book, having read a number of books on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, from both the troop and medical perspective. What I felt overshadowed this book was the heavy Christian leanings. I'm not one to argue one's belief or faith but it came across (and I later noticed on the back cover the subtext:War, military, Christian Life, General) heavy handed [for me]. Some may gain more from this book than I did and I certainly salute Dr. Hodges service and sacrifice his family had to make. I only wish it was broader based to really reach a wider audience.



2. My husband is retired Air Force and I a military wife for more than 20 years so I think we enjoyed this book more than anyone outside of the military or medical would. Well written and appreciated the lack of gutter language!

5 comments about Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War.

1. I found the book refreshing after hearing so many negative things about John Kerry's war service. It's so sad the way some of these far right people writing reviews believe all of the propaganda by their "party". Discrediting his service is a joke. I mean sure, he wasn't the best soldier our country has ever seen, but just compare him to Bush and it makes him look extremely good. Bush can hardly form a sentence (at his age) and Kerry was performing great anti war speeches at a much younger age. As for one of his purple hearts being earned by a self inflicted injury, thats just preposterous, that is not how it works and I think people know that but choose to to believe it. Bottom line is Kerry wouldn't have been the greatest president we have ever seen, but it would have been nice to see someone holding office that actually had served in a war. He might actually have thought twice about sending kids to die. The swift boat vets for "truth" were only one side of the story, and even if some of the things they said were true, obviously the people the Brinkley interviewed with would know better than most of the "truth vets" as they had actually served WITH Kerry, which is different than serving in the same general area.



2. Just one of the many lies i n this book overlooked (????) by Douglas Brinkley was Kerry supposedly in Cambodia in 1968 and havinga telephone conversation with Pres. Nixon. HINT: Johnson was the president in 1968, not Nixon.
   
   To read this book 'TOUR OF DUTY', you'd swaer that Kerry was a real life Rambo when in fact, Kerry was more concerned with carrying around 8mm cameras and old fashioned and heavy Smith-Corona typewritters layingt he foundation for his future presidential campaign.
   
   In another regard, what happened to that BIG DRAFT KERRY said was goingt o happen in January 2005? And the reduced social security benefits? And the Herbert Hoover economy? These were just some of the lies that Kerry repeated over and over and over during his failed presidential campaign in 2004.
   
   But what really happened? There was no draft and 2005 is nearly over. Our seniors got a raise, not a cut in social security benefits and all economic factors show that the economy is doing just great thank you.
   
   Are you all glad that Kerry got whipped last year? Say yes.
   
   [...]



3. It was just a little over 13 months ago that Americans flushed this john and voted for leadership. We didn't buy into the lies or false claims of heroism perpetrated by Kerry and writers like Brinkley who rely on their subject for facts (fat chance)
   
   The economy is moving well. Iraq is moving well regardless what Kerry says. This Kerry promotional piece did not work and thank God for that.
   
   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AMERICANS! WE ALL "FLUSHED THE JOHNS IN 2004!"



4. This book along with the book by George Butler is so full of crap and hype about Kerry that it makes me laugh. Should be listed as fiction and would make for a great novel. Everybody who really knows Kerry laughs whenever mention of this book is brought up.
   
   Those who knew Kerry back in 1966-67 knew how much he wanted to prevent being drafted and stay out of the service. Kerry claiming to be a war hero is like Michael Moore claiming to be an athlete. Give me a break!



5. Having already proven himself to be one of our best biographers today, with his books on Dean Acheson, JFK, FDR, Jean Monnet, James Forrestal, Henry Ford, Rosa Parks, and others, Douglas Brinkley has done it again with a terrific look at the truth behind an American veteran, politician and lifelong public servant.
   
   Only the ignorant and openly biased will dismiss this highly-detailed examination of John Kerry's war experience, from growing up in Denver and his education at Yale through to his trials, triumphs, and ultimate disgust with the Vietnam War. Any questions you have about Kerry's character or his military service - especially those invented by political opponents who instead backed a corrupt coward named W - you'll find the answers right here.
   
   If you value truth over hype and courage over self-serving cronyism, you'll enjoy this book.

5 comments about American Scoundrel: The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles.

1. Dan Sickles, the notorious scoundrel of this book's title, appears to have gotten away with so many of his sins because he was colorful, resourceful, and charming. Unfortunately for the reader, the same cannot be said of Thomas Keneally's writing. Keneally tells us what a colorful character Sickles was, but never really shows us or makes us feel it. One is left with the thought that Sickles must have been a fascinating and complex man, and the hope that someone will someday write a decent biography of him that will truly capture those qualities.
   
   Despite the fact that Sickles is best known as a Civil War general, this is not a book for Civil War buffs. Keneally's writing on the war is superficial at best, and sometimes nakedly erroneous. (He states more than once that Gen. Stonewall Jackson was shot dead at the Battle of Chancellosville, when of course, even a casual student of the war knows that the general only received a wound in the battle and lingered on for some time, dying of pneumonia while recovering from his wound.)
   
   The intended audience of this book, which is reflected in the writing style as well as content, instead appears to be those who loved following the O.J. Simpson trial in the tabloids. The bulk of the book is devoted to Dan's amorous affairs, his young wife's affair, and his murder of his wife's lover and subsequent trail and acquittal. He writes extensively and floridly on these subjects, without managing much real illumination. I must admit that I was only able to make it through the endless trial material by resorting to skimming the text. However, if you are captivated by tabloids coverage of celebrity trials, this book may suit your tastes.
   
   There were germs of interesting facts in this book. Sickles led a fascinating life, from his notorious service in the diplomatic corps, his machinations as a Tammany politician, his work to help create New York City's Central Park, and his controversial service as a Union general. For its outline of the fascinating facts of Dan Sickles' life, I give this book two stars, but because of its sadly disappointing execution, I cannot give it any more, and cannot recommend it.
   
   Theo Logos



2. Read this biography and decide which still-in-the-news contemporary politician Dan Sickles most reminds you of (hint: like Dan, now a New Yorker). The personal traits they share are amazing.
   
   Here is why you should be fascinated by a biography of Dan Sickles. He was a hard core practitioner of Tammany Hall politics and mastered that machine in the 1850's. He deserves at least some credit for forming New York's Central Park through is expert lobbying and deal making. He was a Congressman and a prime example of the type of northern Democrat who was willing to support the South on slavery for the sake of keeping them in the Democrat Party. He was a notorious woman-izer who traveled with a prostitute to England on a diplomatic mission and presented her to the Queen as his wife. He was a great friend and supporter of President Buchanan. He shot and killed the son of Francis Scott Key (yes, that Francis Scott Key), in front of the White House when he learned that Key's son had been carrying on a torrid affair with his wife. His legal team included Edwin Stanton (later Lincoln's able Sec. of War) and used the first ever argument of temporary insanity to win Sickles an acquittal in the slaying. With secession, Sickles became a relentless advocate for a hard war and supporter of Lincoln. He helped raise a brigade and became a general. At Gettysburg, Sickles defied orders and moved his entire corps out in front of the Union line giving history the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield and an almost disastrous outcome on Day 2 of the battle. In that battle, Sickles had his leg shot off by a cannonball. He saved the leg, it was sent to the medical military museum in Washington (where you can still visit it today) and used to visit it regularly. He participated in séances with Mary Lincoln. After the war he was a military governor (apparently quite good and fair) of South Carolina and North Carolina. A sometime-diplomat, he married a Spanish woman after carrying on an affair with the deposed queen of Spain. He became great friends with Longstreet as they banded together to defend their miscues at Gettysburg. Head of the New York Monuments Commission, he helped spur the building of grand monuments at Gettysburg Battlefield and arguably helped convince the US Government that it ought to take over and preserve the battlefield as a park. Reelected to Congress for a single term several decades after the Civil War, he found times had changed politically. Still Tammany till the end, he was arrested in his nineties because the accounts of the New York Monuments Commission were some $27,000 short, money which he apparently pocketed.
   
   You can't make this stuff up. Its all true and should be the foundation for a great book (and a couple of great movies). Unfortunately, the killing of Barton Key and his acquittal on temporary insanity overwhelms the book. Or, more correctly, the plight of his wife Teresa overwhelms the book. Every chapter returns to his wife and Sickles' complete boorishness toward her before he found out she was cheating and complete unwillingness to let his still wife share his life at all after the murder. It is a great episode in Sickles life and it stained him for a brief time until the Civil War and Sickles incredibly strong and charming personality removed that stain from his life's adventures.
   
   But the reader is treated to repetitive and numbing descriptions of his suffering wife Teresa's domestic situation and habits throughout the book. She plainly receded in Sickles' life after the Civil War but doesn't recede in this book's telling of those chapters. Instead, she intrudes again and again to repeatedly make the author's point that she was cruelly ignored and wanted back into her husband's world. So much so that this book perhaps should have been titled "The Story of Dan and Teresa Sickles" (or maybe "The Story of Teresa and Dan Sickles"). The author's unwillingness to let go of her long after she has ceased to be a factor in Sickle's life really interferes with this book.
   
   There were also a few historical mistakes, like placing Senator Ira Harris in Lincoln's box at the assassination (it was his daughter, Clara, who was the fiancé of Major Rathbone) and having South Carolina secede in January of 1861 instead of December of 1860. These would probably only be picked up by Civil War buffs (arguably the audience which would read this because of Sickle's infamous Gettysburg excursion) but call into question the author's command of the facts.
   
   Dan Sickles is a very interesting subject for a biography. Disappointingly, the author blows what could have been a fascinating and rollicking bio with a long treatise basically dedicated to rehabilitating Sickles' wife Teresa, a woman who undoubtedly suffered because of the double standards of the time and who unfairly had her life severely constrained because of the actions and attitude of her husband Dan Sickles. But come on, we get the point. For example, I did not know Sickles had been military governor of South Carolina (with North Carolina later added to his administration) after the war. He appears to have been quite fair and just and to have protected the new freedmen from harassment. The book doesn't plumb this enough. We get some of the information but are treated to poor Teresa's lack of an invitation to join Dan Sickles in Charleston where she could reign as the General's wife over Carolinian society. The author really let his evident sympathy for Teresa overwhelm the all too fascinating portrait of a man rightly called "American Scoundrel."
   
   Interesting in parts, but broken-up with digressions on Teresa. A deserved three stars.



3. You might not have heard of Daniel Sickles, but his accomplishments were impressive. A Union general in the Civil War who served at Gettysburg (a Medal of Honor winner who lost his leg there), an intimate of Abe and Mary Lincoln, a congressman, and an ambassador, Sickles was just the sort of hero you ought to know about. Except that he was a scoundrel, too. _In American Scoundrel: The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles_ (Nan A. Talese / Anchor Books), Thomas Keneally has given a full and amusing biography of this American, non-fiction Flashman. His many transgressions were public knowledge, and yet he dressed and spoke well so that he rose to heights of power without any precipitous fall except the natural one provided by old age and death. It is a story often hilarious and sometimes horrifying, and Keneally (who will always be known for _Schindler's List_) has depicted Sickles and the mood and manners of his age in an unforgettable portrait.
   
   Born in 1819, Sickles took to the law, and as a rascal, joined the other rascals of the Tammany political machine. He learned to cut financial corners, and would never be good at balancing the books, especially governmental ones. He eventually was appointed as a secretary to the American Legation in London, and took a favorite prostitute to his post instead of taking his wife; he even arranged for her to be introduced to Queen Victoria. When he was elected to Congress, he and his wife Teresa were a successful power couple, but he neglected her. Filling the void in Teresa's life came Philip Barton Key, who saw Teresa at parties, and in secret trysts in not-so-public places and at a house Key had rented for the purpose. Sickles eventually found Key on Lafayette Square and shot him. His trial was a sensation. The prosecution was poorly performed, and Sickles's hyper-competent lawyers led the jury to find him not guilty due to temporary insanity. It was the first time in American jurisprudence that such a plea resulted in acquittal. What rescued him from infamy was the Civil War. At Gettysburg Sickles made his greatest contribution. He precipitously led his men into battle, creating a controversy at the time that has continued to the present day; there are those who say his unilateral advance almost lost the battle, while others say it saved the Union. Early in the fight, however, his right leg was shattered by a cannonball. He coolly kept his cigar in his mouth (Keneally says it was "a moment of which the right sort of general could make a myth of his easy gallantry") and was carried to a field hospital where his leg was amputated.
   
   He stayed busy. He became an ambassador to Spain and began an affair with the deposed Queen Isabella II. Theresa had died of tuberculosis, and Sickles married a young lady from Isabella's court, but returned to America without her or the two children he had fathered. He had worked earnestly to develop Central Park in New York before he went to Washington, and he contrived to bring it animals for its zoo. He made his fortune on behalf of railroad stockholders by bringing down the notorious Jay Gould who had robbed them of millions. He did everything he could to ensure that his military reputation was brightly presented to posterity, and he got himself appointed as head of his state's Monuments Commission which had the task of erecting on the Gettysburg fields monuments to his own regiment and others from New York. No one should have been surprised when thousands of dollars for the commission went missing, and no one should have been surprised that there was a surge of donations from well-wishers that kept the elder Sickles from winding up in jail. When he died in 1914, he got a full hero's funeral and interment at Arlington National Cemetery. It was just as he would have wished, and this is a tale of a life lived just the way he wished, brash, impetuous, resolute, and irresponsible. There is no hero to match him.



4. If you are interested in the American Civil War, this is not the book for you. Keneally fails to understand the core audience for this book, Civil War aficionados, and is erroneous in his basic facts surrounding important events. The focus is the scandal surrounding Sickles and his young bride and not the historical events of the day.



5. AMERICAN SCOUNDREL is interesting in that it is flawed on so very many different levels.
   
   It fails as psychohistory -- Dan Sickles, a notorious womanizer, shoots down his wife's lover in front of the White House, and is judged NOT GUILTY. This simply begs for psychological introspection, but all we get is "standards were different then."
   
   It fails as the story of Dan Sickles. We never learn how he got the way he was, we never climb the money tree enough to see how he supporter his lavish lifestyle, or even the entire story of his life. We get long chapters on his wife's affair, her lover's murder, Dan's trial, and the second day at Gettysburg, but very little of anything else. The final 60 years of Dan's life are covered in less than 30 pages. The old saying goes, "There are no second acts in American lives," but this is ridiculous.
   
   And when there are horrible historical mistakes in what we already know, the rest of the historical research becomes very suspect. Stonewall Jackson did not die on the battlefield at Chancellorsville; Andrew Johnson was actually impeached.

3 comments about Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes.

1. Having read all three of Edward F. Murphy's Medal of Honor books, this one did the least for me. It seems to be rushed and not as detailed or in-depth as his other MoH books. Of the three MoH books he has written, the one on the Korean War MoH winners is the most detailed and in-depth. The one on WW2 MoH winners is fast-paced, but is a very good read. This Vietnam MoH effort is the first one of the series of three that Murphy did, and it gives me the impression that he was in a hurry to write and finish this one. It could also possibly be that he was low on information or new at how to lay the stories out. He released this Vietnam one in '87, the WW2 one in '92, and the Korean one in '97, so it is safe to say that he has improved with each as time went on. Still, this book is not to be totally discounted, as it offers some info and twists that weren't included in the original MoH citations of each recipient, obviously. It was an enjoyable, quick read and goes in my library to take its place among the other MoH books and is good for a quick reference. It was worth the money, most definitely. Of particular use is the listing in the back of every recipient, place of action, date, posthumous award or not, and their unit. A good book, but I gave it 3 stars for the complete lack of pictures of the recipients and the hurried writing style.



2. This book is a must read for all Americans. It describes in detail what these men did for our country. Some stories are more detailed than others due to lack of available information. None the less all are awsome stories of the character and sacrifices of the American fighting man in Vietnam. This is a very needed and well written book, that hopefully will help us all never forget the sacrifices that have been made for freedom. The book not only covers the tremendous acts of self sacrifice and bravery, but the struggle that some heroes had after returning to civilian life. After reading "Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes" I have an even greater since of respect and awe for the men that fought in a war that they were not allowed to win.



3. The book is a comprehensive anthology of the majority of the Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam conflict. The format and ease of readability made the book difficult to out down.

1 comments about Captain James Cook: Seaman and Scientist.

1. There are those who are quite able to transfer their research into the written word in such a way that the reader is fully able to enjoy the fruits of their work - and there are those who are not. Thankfully, Bill Finnis belongs to the former group.
   
   "Captain James Cook - Seaman and Scientist" arrived through my letterbox just as I was departing for a week's diving on one of the many Safari Boats found in the Egyptian Red Sea. I always take a good book on such trips and this one proved to be an excellent choice.
   
   This is a hardback book measuring approx. 11in x 8¼in, containing almost 250 pages of text with just the right amount of charts, sketches, portraits and photographs in support. The book begins with a chapter headed "Setting the Scene" and that is precisely what it does. Drawing on his own vast experience of the sea, the author explains the prevailing wind conditions in the Pacific Ocean before reminding us of the contributions made by a host of individuals - many of us will remember from our school days; Magellan, Drake, Anson, Bougainville, Dampier and Cartaret - to name but some.
   
   So, having been reminded of what has gone before in terms of world exploration we are now treated to an exposé of Cook's early years and how he came to be apprenticed to a small shipping company in Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. Then, after some 4 years - and just as he is offered his very first command of a merchant ship, he elects instead to widen his horizons by joining the Navy.
   
   What follows is an immensely readable account of Cook's life and, of course, his death. Along the way, we learn of the difficulties associated with determining longitude and how this led to errors in fixing the precise positions of islands being charted by various explorers. We also learn how William Bligh - later to become that famous Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, accompanied Cook on his last voyage. Perhaps, after learning so much about navigation from the great man himself, it was little wonder that Bligh survived that epic voyage in a small open boat after having been evicted from his ship.
   
   Elsewhere, we learn how Cook had conducted a detailed survey of the Coast of New Zealand during 1769-1770. I particularly liked the comment whereby, in 1943 US Forces were based in that country and decided the charts should be brought up to date. Their own survey of the New Zealand coastline revealed several apparent errors made by Cook. Some years later, with the benefit of satellite position fixing, it was found that the US Forces were in error and Cook had been right all along.
   
   In summary, this book contains 250 pages of historical detail written in a style which makes it hard to put down. It is a fascinating account of one of history's most fascinating men and the reader will not be disappointed by either the content or the way in which it is presented.
   
   NM

5 comments about Battling for Saipan.

1. Mr. O'Brien gives a vivid detail of the 105ths movements from the landing on the beaches of Saipan to the final evacuation from the Gyokusai attach in Tanapag. He follows his uncle Lt. Col. William J. O'Brien from battle to battle all the time merging stories of the hundreds of other men who fought along side him. Giving an almost play by play of scirmishes from survivors stories. I couldn't put it down. I will never Hash through the jungles here the same way again! Infact, I went to the memorial and looked for his name of the thousands that are there and I found it. As you look at it you face to about the appoximate location of Tagapag village.



2. This book was interesting but it had several flaws. It was a basically a defense of the army's 27th Infantry Division during the Saipan invasion during the Pacific war. It was at Saipan where the 27th did not measure up to marine units.

   The author claims to be objective but I find that difficult to believe. He is writing about his own Uncle, William O'Brien. He was also writing about the 27th Infantry Division, a national guard unit which consisted of men from his own home town and area. I detected a bias in defense of the 27th and a bias against Marine General "Howlin Mad" Smith who relieved 27th Division commander General Ralph Smith.

   The author claims that this was the one and only battle where army troops fought under the command of the a marine general. This was untrue. Army units fought successfully under marine General Vandergrift at Guadalcanal in 1942, under marine General Geiger at Peleliu in 1944, and briefly under Geiger again at Okinawa in 1945. The author blames marine command for many of the 27th's problems but has a shaky arguement.

   The author also defend the 27th divison as "one of the best trained units in the Pacific". I have read many other books and many other authors do NOT share this opinion of the 27th. Many other authors have a much lower opinion of the 27th. In fact, at Okinawa in 1945, an army general withdrew the 27th from the main battle and sent it to the rear for "garrison duty". Let's be realistic and honest. Not all members of the armed forces in WW II were "the elite". Units differed in quality. Some units were excellent and some were of lesser quality.

   Note: I am NOT a marine but just someone who has read many books on this subject.




3. I found Francis O'Brien's work on the 27th Division to be moving account of an army unit that served its country well at the expense of criticism. His account of the 1st battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, was especially touching, and, I feel, deserves mention along with other memorable units of WWII.

   However, I do agree that O'Brien's work does lack much objectiveness at the expense of defending the reputation of the 27th Division. This was essentially the purpose of his book, and there are certainly more objective accounts of the 27th to be found elsewhere, some of whom O'Brien refers to in his book.

   Nonetheless, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and quite a service to those who fought and died with the "New York Division" in WWII.

   As O'Brien states at the end of his preface: "I trust I have shown that [the families'] fathers, sons, uncles, and brothers served their country honrably and well in WWII."




4. I've often wondered over the years how justifiable Howlin' Mad Smith's relief of Ralph Smith was during the battle for Saipan. I've suspected that there was more to the issue than meets the eye and that Holland Smith may have had more of a point to prove than cause for action. O'Brien's book points solidly in that direction although his perspective has to be skewed toward the 27th and I believe that he wrote the book starting from that viewpoint. However the most moving and impressive part of this account for me was the details of the heroism of Sgt. Thomas A. Baker. I first encountered his story in an obscure internet tribute one Veteran's Day a few years back. Reading his citation I wondered what kind of man could be capable of such feats. O'Brien's history contains more details of this remarkable soldier than I've found elsewhere, but still left me yearning to find out more about him. Who knows, maybe someday I'll write his definitive history!



5. Like your Reader from Texas, I am not a marine but I have read many books about the war in the Pacific and the Smith vs. Smith incident.

   HM Smith was not one of the great captains of WWII. As Professor Harry Gailey points out in "Howlin' Mad Versus the Army", Saipan was the first and only time HM Smith ever had hands on responsibility for troops in battle. He did not conduct a very brilliant campaign. He constantly underestimated the strength of Japanese resistance on the island, made his plans based on his underestimates, and then blamed the Army Division and its Commander, MG Ralph Smith, when his plans did not work.

   The 27th Infantry Division was the most unfairly maligned unit of WWII, Its commander, MG Ralph Smith was the most unfairly vilified leader of WWII. This happened because the Marine Corps and its advocates needed to create and maintain the legend that HM Smith was a great captain, needed to explain away HM Smith's less than brilliant performance on Saipan.

   This book, while not a thoroughly researched as Edmund Smith's 27th ID's History or Professor Gailey's "Howlin' Mad Versus the Army", it is an honest attempt to tell the correct history, that the 27th ID fought hard and fought well on Saipan.